Mamadou Sakho’s long-limbed style of defending makes him hard for opposing strikers to beat, but his off-field strides might carry his career further than the ones he takes on the field.
Sakho said Wednesday he now feels comfortable with life at Liverpool because he has overcome the language barrier. Sakho struggled with English after joining Liverpool from hometown club Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2013 but now can speak to his teammates on the field in a language they all know well enough to use among themselves.
“I feel good,” Sakho told French magazine L’Equipe, according to the Liverpool Echo. “Language (was a problem initially). I am a man of character so I feel frustrated when I cannot express myself, and it becomes worse when others fail to understand me.
“Some told me to speak French, as it would have allowed me to feel a little more free. But when I spoke French on the pitch for substitutes and stuff like that, no one understood me.
“I told myself, ‘it is useless, I really need to learn (English)’. It took me a while but now it’s fine.”
Language problems slowed Sakho’s adaptation to Liverpool following his £18 million ($29.2 million) transfer. He only played 19 games in his first season with the Reds. He then failed to cement himself in the lineup before it all nearly went wrong in the early months of 2014-15.
Sakho’s infamous walkout before the Merseyside derby in September and subsequent thigh injury appeared to threaten his Anfield career, but he recovered and fought his way into the lineup by the end of 2014.
Sakho now is a key figure in Liverpool’s resurgent defense. The 25-year-old is becoming a favorite among fans and his teammates, making it likely that he will spend some of his peak years as a Liverpool player.
What a difference a few months and choice phrases can make in a soccer player’s career.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@LivEchoLFC
